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June 16, 2015

What's New in The Wasteland (Fallout 4 E3 Highlights)

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Fallout 4 #BE3 Showcase Highlights

Since New Vegas, Fallout fans have patiently awaited the next piece in the franchise, in hopes of more wasteland fun in bigger and "badder" ways. After years of silence, and a rather surprise announcement, Bethesda Game Studios has given unto the mass Fallout 4, which seems to be the largest, most ambitious title of the IP yet. On June 14th, during E3, much was shown of what they had to offer within the game. Many new features were added, and many favorites have been brought back, tweaked and improved for the new game. Here are some of the key features which were highlighted during the E3 presentation and some speculation from watching.

A Voiced Character

A first for any Bethesda RPG, Fallout 4 will feature a voiced player character, for either male or female. Finally, a voice is put to the mute hero of the wasteland, but this isn’t the only voicing miracle added to Fallout 4.

Todd Howard revealed that over thousand of the most common names (not known how many female and male) have been recorded for the players robot, Codsworth, to address the player as. This is monumental. Though it’s only one character, the ability for you to hear your name in the game makes for a far better immersion experience.

Pip-Boy

With a new game comes a new Pip-Boy, the wrist-worn companion of Fallout. The new Pip-Boy is much more interactive and immersive, with all onscreen items and Vault Boys animated (as far as we can tell). The Pip-Boy also adds game tapes, a rather gimmicky, yet none the less amazing addition to the game.

In addition to the improvements, many a fanboy's dream has been answered. With the Collector’s Edition comes a fully functional, smartphone powered Pip-Boy replica. A second screen companion app will allow you to use your phone, with or without the Replica case, as your in-game Pip-Boy.

Crafting

One of the biggest features, and in my opinion, the most exciting, is the insane amounts of customization and crafting added to the game. First things shown was the settlement and base building features, which seemed very Minecraft-esque. Bethesda seems to have tested the waters in base crafting with the Hearthfire DLC for Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. While it was executed decently there, it seems they’ve stepped up their game, a lot. You’ll be able to set up multiple settlements, set up defense systems, and even create pixel art through the powered generators available in crafting.

Bethesda RPGs have always allowed one to grab literally object in the game, though before much of it was useless junk which clogged the inventory and brought Encumbrance to the unwise adventurer and wastelander. That is no longer the case in Fallout 4. Every item has a purpose through crafting. The material is obtained through scrapping the many items found scattered across the wasteland.

Todd Howard stated during the E3 presentation that there is over 50 base weapons, and over 700 modifications and add-ons. That leads to thousands upon thousands of customization options for your personal arsenal in the wasteland. It was even seen you could name your custom weapons.

Man’s Best Friend

Dogs are one of the only creatures, besides humans (for the most part) which survived with minimal radiation present in the Fallout Universe, excluding cyborg dogs such as Rex. your furry friend took the spotlight in the first announce Trailer, and even more was revealed about them during E3. It’s unknown at this time if he can act as your personal pack mule, as Rex and other companions could mainly within Fallout: New Vegas, but commanding your dog to fetch items within the world was demonstrated. All one needs is to point in the world, and the dog shall obey.

Power Armor

Though not directly addressed in the E3 presentation, power armor seems to have undergone a bit of a revamp. Aside from the crafting treatment much of the rest of the game has been given, allowing you to customize your power armor to your heart's desire, the armor seem to be much more valuable. A new HUD was shown for the power armor, and new features, such as a jet pack. It seems like one will no longer be able to use the armor willy nilly, as some things might make it balance out in power, such as decreased speed. Hopefully more is seen in time.

Conclusion

With so much to offer, Fallout 4 seems to be one of the best games of the year, and definitely a sure favorite for the fans. We won’t have to wait much longer, though, to explore the wastelands once more, as the game will be released November 10th of this year. Until then, while we all sit and wait, to emerge from the Vault 111, check the Fallout 4 Demo Showcase below!